Wholesale Auto Parts

The apple of automobiles is a ample one. It is comprised of a all-inclusive industry that includes auto manufacturing, designing and selling, car accessories assembly as able-bodied as auto locations and accessories. Interaction in such industries is almost high. Thus, every auto buyer?s demands can be answered easily. In turn, abounding auto and auto locations affairs accept been in connected development through the years. You can calmly acquisition broad auto locations on the bazaar mainly because there are so abounding manufacturers. Most auto owners attending to buy broad auto parts, as they are about abundant cheaper. Deals like these are mostly accessible a part of auto locations dealers to allure buyers to do business with them. Since they are awash in ample quantities, the amount is staggered. Broad auto locations are accessible in sets or packages. For example, you can buy auto lights in four-piece sets and pay the amount of alone a three-piece set. The advantage of accepting broad auto locations is that you abundance added locations for your vehicle?s approved aliment after elimination your pockets. You aswell tend to accept a added best in broad deals as a lot of auto shops tend to adjustment ample quantities from manufacturers. How to Acquisition Abundant Deals on Broad Auto Parts 'Cheaper by the dozen' is a byword that defines broad auto parts. But award the appropriate deals could sometimes be catchy and can could cause a dilemma. However, the alone abstruse to award such abundant deals in broad auto locations is that you accept to be actual resourceful. If you could go auto boutique hunting, again do so. Look in as abounding shops as you can, investigate their articles and their broad offers. See if their offers are account your purchase. Another antecedent of advice is the Internet. Sites about auto shops now abound on the Web, and a lot of action broad auto locations such as lights, engine parts, exoteric enhancements, ability action locations and the like.

Choosing the Right Auto Accommodation Online

Buying a new car or a acclimated car allegation not accord you headaches anymore. Getting auto loans has become easy; you can now accept from online auto accommodation lending networks or get an auto accommodation from your car dealer. And there are abounding auto accommodation options accessible to accept from. 

The antagonism to accommodate auto loans has above down to better, and faster, deals for car accommodation borrowers. So if you administer for an auto accommodation today you can apparently drive home in your dream apparatus by the evening! 

Choosing the actual auto accommodation requires some appointment on your allotment - you should be accommodating to do some research. Not that it is difficult; you can calmly do it on the Internet.

First and foremost, you allegation to appraise your acclaim status. You allegation to ascertain how abundant of a car accommodation you can afford. This is important afore chief on to the car to buy. Auto loans crave account payments, so it should be an bulk that fits into your account budget. Abounding auto accommodation sites accept auto accommodation calculators which can accord an abstraction as to how abundant your auto accommodation is traveling to amount you anniversary month. Once you accept formed this out, you can get accessible to administer for your auto loan.

Again, the Internet is a abundant advice here. There are bags of auto accommodation sites area you can administer for an auto accommodation online. Completing those forms is usually a breeze: just ample in a few fields and bang on the 'Submit' button! Generally the online lenders action absorption ante 1-2 per cent lower than that offered by the auto dealers. That money adored can be acclimated to buck the added costs associated with affairs your car. 

Online auto accommodation forms ask for your basal cyberbanking details, your job status, and abode proof. Online applications are candy anon by lenders in the arrangement abreast to your abode of residence. Approvals usually yield beneath than an hour, and added important, on a lot of sites this is a chargeless service. Bigger still, an approval does not put any obligations on you about demography a accommodation from that lender. 

If you accept a apple-pie acclaim cachet and a co-signer, again accede your accommodation semi-approved! The acceptable affair about auto loans is that you can get one even if you accept a beneath than absolute acclaim history. A lot of auto accommodation lenders action bad acclaim auto loans. However, some lenders may allegation you college absorption ante and a beyond down transaction because of your bad acclaim status. Some lenders aswell bind the best of cars models if you accept a bad acclaim status. Once the accommodation is approved, you will get accommodation offers from the lenders and you can accept the accommodation that you want. 

The capital belief for allotment an auto accommodation should be the amount of absorption and the accommodation period. The accommodation aeon for an auto accommodation is usually three to 5 years. You can ask for a best aeon on your auto loan, say, seven years. But it is consistently bigger to accord the accommodation aural a beneath period; that will put a lower absorption accountability on you. You have to aswell acquisition out from the lender if they acquiesce faster claim of auto loans after amends charges. If they do, you can opt to accord the loans faster a few months after (depending on your income) and save on the accommodation charges. 

Auto loans are accessible for new and acclimated cars. Usually, the accommodation accuse on acclimated car loans are college than that for new car loans. Analysis the assorted auto accommodation options accessible and consistently apprehend the accomplished book of the accommodation acceding afore you adjudge on your auto loan.

VW Auto Parts

One of the bigger crazes about the apple is cars. We are not abiding breadth this attraction comes from but back their apparatus humans accept been bedeviled with authoritative autos faster, adherent and bigger than they are. The funny affair is that a lot of individuals anticipate about their autos as machines and leave it at that. This is altered from one accumulation of auto lovers. I am speaking accurately about VW auto lovers. I can anticipate of no blazon of auto that is added bedeviled over or fawned over than the VW auto. The Volkswagen has a afterward that is incomparable by any added cast of auto. This is because abounding VW lovers amusement their cars as humans so abundant in actuality that they name their cars. When abounding VW owners altercate their VW auto they say he or she and call them as if talking about an old friend. This is not necessarily far off back abounding of the VW owners about the apple accept had their VW, or abutting friend, for in some cases decades. If you had your auto for twenty years you would acceptable accede it a friend. A above allotment of accepting a car for abounding years and befitting it active is the adeptness to acquisition the able auto locations for it. Locating the appropriate year auto allotment and the exact blazon of auto allotment is alone able to be done on a newer car or one that has a austere following. VW's accept such a ample afterward that award VW auto locations is easier than ever. Gone are the canicule of traveling to the bounded junkyard and acquisitive they accept the VW like castigation and that the auto locations you charge from that VW are still on the car. These canicule you can acquisition new VW auto locations and acclimated VW auto locations on the internet. Yes it is accurate and it is alone a bang away. There are a bulk of auto locations distributors that specialize in one cast of auto locations and if you attending for VW auto locations you will acquisition that a abundant abounding of the specialty auto locations humans do focus on the VW. Why is this? The acknowledgment is simple. There accept been so abounding types of cars over the years and a lot of of them accept not backward in assembly or for that bulk afflicted actual abundant for the time they were getting made. Auto locations food alone accept to focus on a few archetypal years and afore continued thee car is discontinued and the ones that were fabricated die out and are junked never to charge auto locations again. This is not so for the VW. The ones that were fabricated thirty years ago are still on the alley and traveling well. The VW lovers I apperceive accumulate the old ones always and just accumulate abacus newer ones to the family. As the earlier ones get beat out for use they are in charge of accurately VW auto parts. The endure breadth that I wish to awning is the ample bulk of custom aftermarket locations for all of the autos on the market. I accept been a VW fan for years and accept watched the bazaar abound for aftermarket VW auto parts. Granted if you charge a lot of auto locations like attic mats or agnate you can go the auto locations abundance and get all-encompassing attic mats. They aswell backpack the big names like Ford or Chevy in custom auto parts. The abundant affair is that in contempo years the VW has gotten its due account and the manufacturers accept started to accomplish a army of VW auto locations in all custom types. Just attending about and you will see that the VW is still growing in acceptance and the apple of custom auto locations is angle to fit the VW in. Thank you to all of you adolescent VW lovers. It is because of you that VW auto locations are simple to acquisition and we can accumulate our "friends" active on the alley for abounding years to come.

Cadillac Set to Increase the Prices of Its Vehicles in the Coming Years

Cadillac has confirmed that the brand is planning to increase the prices of their vehicles in the coming years and this plan will most likely happen.

According to a number of reliable sources, Cadillac's plan of boosting the prices of its vehicles up was triggered by the rising cost of raw materials, vehicle components or the costs of labor involved in producing luxury vehicles. The planned increase was basically due to the brand's intention to take its luxury credentials to a higher level and somehow match the prices of its rivals from Europe such as the Mercedes Benz and BMW.

In lieu of this particular plan, Don Butler who is the current vice president of Cadillac explained that there is great need for the brand to increase the prices of its vehicle so as to re-establish Cadillac's status as a producer of luxury vehicles.

In a statement, Butler cited the Cadillac CTS as a good example of how the brand's car models are priced way below its European rivals. According to Butler, the current base price of the CTS is about $8000 lower than its closest competitor which is the BMW 5-Series and this price difference could be considered as a great deal for luxury car shoppers who want to earn larger savings. However, by looking at the situation from the luxury market's point of view, the lower base price of CTS could become a great issue since selling a luxury car at a very low price diminishes its value and this could also turn the CTS to a common vehicle rather than a luxurious one.

Significant Features of the 2013 Toyota Avalon

The 2013 Toyota Avalon was introduced as a fully-redesigned model and serves as an indication that Toyota is quite serious with its commitment to build more interesting car models once again.

Since the 2013 Toyota Avalon is a fully redesigned version of its predecessors, a lot of car experts and buyers are expecting that this vehicle would offer a number of exciting features that other Toyota sedans have failed to provide. Luckily, the Avalon will most likely live up to these expectations, given the fact that the company's engineers and vehicle developers spent a lot of time in upgrading the Avalon's features.

Starting off with the vehicle's exterior design, the 2013 Toyota is equipped with a wider lower grille, distinctive hood channels and narrower headlight lenses. These components made the Avalon look more intimidating as well as forceful. The vehicle's rear on the other hand is adorned by a new set of LED taillights that extend all the way to the vehicle's trunk lid and connected by a carefully-designed chrome strip. With this set-up, the vehicle's rear looked elegant and quite upscale.

Seventeen Months in Our Nissan LEAF

Three LEAFs and a Fisker Karma at the solar canopy charging station at Mistubishi HQ in Cypress CA on National Plug In Day, Sept 23, 2012

I'm very late in posting this August update in October.  I apologize.  Part of the reason for the delay is that I always include an update from my monthly utility bill so that I can update my driving costs, but as explained below, SCE has improved my meter, and so now they can't find a way to bill me (irony).  Another reason that I've taken extra time this month is that events on the LEAF scene have been changing rapidly with regard to heat-related battery capacity loss, especially in Arizona, and I wanted to include the most recent information.  And lastly, I've been busy researching a new hobby, electric bikes.  I'll report more on this next month.

August was our seventeenth month of driving electric in our Nissan LEAF.  Another 1,000 miles, bringing us to almost 16,000 miles and our LEAF continues to perform flawlessly. It has never given us a single problem.  It is still as pleasant and comfortable as the first day we drove it, and we love the quiet and smoothness of the driving experience.  Our LEAF continues to cost us nothing in operating costs to drive, as the combination of our solar "power plant" on our home's roof and the Time of Use rates from our utility, SCE, add up to an annual bill of zero.  Even if we didn't have solar power, we would have paid only about $37 for electricity to drive the LEAF this month, around 3.7 cents per mile.  That is much less than half the cost of driving a Prius for the same number of miles.  And we still haven't spent a penny on maintenance in 16,000 miles of driving.

New SCE Smart Meter and Billing
I don't have any up-to-date billing figures from our utility because, ironically, we now have a "smart" electric meter.  Yes, SCE finally came up with a smart meter and software that should be able to handle solar net metering and time of use billing for EV charging at the same time.  I'm told that at some point in time, I'll be able to go to SCE's web site and see hourly power usage and solar net generation graphs.  At this point, after more than a month of having a smart meter, I can't even get a monthly bill.  Which is a shame, since we are in prime summer "over-generation" season, when I like to gloat about the size of my SCE credit balance.  Our daily power usage has dropped, as well, since our son and his family have moved into their new home and out of ours. As I've said many times before, the combination of solar PV power and EV charging is a perfect match.  We're so happy with the performance of our solar power that we are going to look into adding air conditioning to our home this year.  Used carefully, we don't think that air conditioning will cost us much at all, due to the offset of our solar cells.

UPDATE: A special SCE meter reader showed up a week ago, about 45 days after the smart meter was installed, saying that SCE hadn't been able to get any readings from my meter and that he needed to take a manual reading.  He also said that they might have to replace our meter in the future if the situation persists.  A week later, there is still no bill available on SCE's web site.

FURTHER UPDATE: On Oct 6, I noticed on the SCE web site that some of my September usage data is displayed and that my credit balance of -$72.83 has now grown to -$137.13.  I still don't see a bill on the SCE site, and the date range of the current account summary isn't clear, but SCE has at least been able to use the data from the manual meter read of 10 days ago to get some usable data.  I'm going to keep the previous credit balance in my figures below, since the dates for the new SCE figures aren't clear and they don't match the August month end date of this update, but Ill update my kWh usage total for the net metering year using my own figures.

FINAL UPDATE: On Oct 10, about a month late, our August SCE bill appeared on SCE's web site, and I am now able to identify the date range of the bill and assign the billing to the month of August.  SCE handled the transition between the two meters in mid-August by creating two different bills in one, and the total amounted to a credit of $64.30 that will be added to our previous credit balance to produce a running total "bill" of -$137.13.  I've adjusted the numbers at the bottom of the page to reflect this latest bill.   I expect to see an additional credit for the final summer month of September, and I still expect to see a final actual bill due at the end of February, our twelfth net metering month of the year, of zero, for all of our electricity usage, including charging our LEAF for 11,000 miles of driving in the year.

Tony Williams' Baja to BC LEAF

Battery Capacity and Range
Issues with battery capacity loss from LEAF owners in hot desert climates have continued to be reported.  Though the actual number of LEAFs with capacity bar loss is unknown because the MyNissanLEAF forum only represents a subset of owners, according to the wiki here, about 52 LEAFs in Arizona, 29 in California, and 23 in Texas have reported having lost at least one of twelve battery capacity bars, with 11 of these cars having lost three or more bars.  Details of the testing that Nissan did on some of the affected cars, and an ensuing test on a dozen cars in Arizona by a group of MyNissanLeaf.com members can be read on the wiki page.

At this time, Nissan has bought back at least two of the affected Arizona cars under terms similar to those laid out in the Arizona lemon law.  Nissan has asked Chelsea Sexton, a well known and respected figure in the EV world, to convene a global advisory board to advise Nissan on communication with LEAF owners and on strategy.

Our own LEAF continues to operate perfectly, shows all twelve battery capacity bars and appears to still be able to drive just over 70 miles on a full charge at our usual driving efficiency, about 85% of its original driving range.  Our average daily mileage driven is under 35 miles and we rarely need to drive the LEAF more than 55 miles.  We now charge the LEAF to 80%, Nissan's recommended long life charging mode, which gives us about 60 miles of range to empty.  It appears that our 2011 LEAF will able to handle our driving needs at least through the end of our 39 month lease, 22 months from now, even if the battery capacity has declined below the 80% that Nissan suggests that we should expect.

My take after watching this story unfold is that the LEAF is a great car that can fulfill the needs of a large number of buyers, especially those living in temperate regions with cool summer temperatures and daily commutes of around 50 miles.  The shorter the owner's daily commuting needs, the more likely the current LEAF will work well for the owner for several years. These owners can expect a very reliable family car with ownership costs and CO2 and other emissions well below those of the average car, and they'll never need to take it to a gas station for fuel.  If summer temperatures are hot, I recommend leasing the car to minimize risk due to capacity loss.  For those who live in regions where summer temperatures regularly reach three digits, who have longer commutes and who drive the US average number of annual miles or more, I recommend careful research into the LEAF's range capabilities, potential battery capacity loss over time, and consideration of the buyer's required commute range needs over the time period that they expect to own or lease the car.

Capacity loss is a given with any battery.  The rate and degree of loss is dependent on the battery's chemistry, temperatures, mileage driven (which is related to the number of charging cycles), depth of discharge, charging wattage and frequency and other factors.  In my opinion, it is incumbent on EV manufacturers to either warranty battery capacity, or to be very transparent with potential buyers about the car's expected driving range capabilities over time and in the region where the car is being sold.  In public statements and in the video in this thread on MyNissanLeaf.com here, Nissan has admitted to "being a little behind in engaging with our customers and giving credibility to their questions".  In my opinion, improvement in that area is the first step in the direction of correcting an issue that has hinged on customer communication.

Corbin Sparrow EV at Mitsubishi HQ in Cypress, Ca for National Plug-In Day, Sept 23, 2012

The Numbers:
2011 Nissan LEAF SL Placed in Service: March 30, 2011
All Home Charging Done Using: 240 Volt Aerovironment/Nissan Level 2 EVSE
Home Solar PV System: 24 Sunpower 215W panels totaling 5.16 kW DC mounted on a 20 degree South facing roof.
Total Solar PV Power Generated for Net Metering Year Ended February 2012:  8,568 kWh

Our LEAF's Longest Range Full Charge to Empty ("Turtle"): 86.5 miles (at 4.0 mi/kWh on dash), April 2011.

Our LEAF's Most Recent Range, Full Charge to Turtle: 75 miles (at 4.1 mi/kWh on dash), July 2012
NOTE: Longer maximum range is possible if the LEAF is driven more conservatively. Many LEAF owners have achieved range of well over 100 miles.

Month:  August 2012
Total Miles at Month End: 15,879 miles
Miles Driven in Month:  1,009 miles
Electric Power Used for Charging in Month: 294.7 kWh (measured at wall power source, includes public charging)
Public Charging in Month, Power Use: 7.6 kWh 
Charging at Home in Month, Power Use: 287.1 kWh
Energy Efficiency, Month of August:  3.42 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Month of August:   4.29 miles/kWh (in car main dash display, battery to wheels)
Efficiency Wall to Wheels in Month at 240 Volts: (3.42/4.29) = 80%

Total Charging Energy Used, Lifetime:  4,874.9 kWh (Includes public charging)

Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  3.26 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  30.7 kWh/100 mi (wall to wheels)
Number of Home Charging Days in Month: 28
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging in a Day in August:  19.5 kWh  (5.1 charging hours)
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging AT HOME in a Day in August: 18.5 kWh (4.87 charging hours)

Least Electric Energy Used at Home for Charging in a Charging Day in August :  1.9 kWh (0.5 charging hours)
Average Electric Energy Used for Home Charging in a Charging Day in August: 10.25 kWh  (2.9 charging hours)
Household Power Used for Month:  726 kWh (without car charging)
Total Power Used for Month:  1,013 kWh (includes car charging)
Solar PV Power Generated for Month:  848 kWh
Net Power Used or Sent to Grid for Month:  165 kWh net used
August Electric Bill, So Cal Edison, Schedule TOU-D-TEV:  $-64.30 
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative kWh Used at Month #6:  1,120 kWh (estimated Total kWh net used for the net metering year. This is total household and EV charging usage minus solar PV generation.  Figures are from my tracking, SCE's tracking is messed up at this time.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative Cost at Month #6:  -$137.13 (Total energy and delivery costs for all power usage for the net metering year.)
Cost for Charging Car in August:  $0.00
Cost per Mile:  $0.00
Cost for Charging Car, Lifetime: $0.00
Cost per Mile, Lifetime: $0.00  
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost for Charging Car in August: $37.32)
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost per Mile in August: $0.037) 
Average (Mean) Miles per Driving Day in August:  34.8 miles
Average (Median) Miles per Driving Day in August:  30 miles
Longest Day's Driving in August:  62 miles
Longest Day's Driving in August Without Mid-Trip Charging: 62 miles

Shortest Day's Driving in August:  4 miles
Number of Times we Took the Prius Instead of the LEAF Due to Low Charge: 5
Unexpected Low Charge and Unable to Reach Destination:  Never

10 "hidden gem" cars I don't see enough of on the road

Cadillac CTS Coupe

I saw a Cadillac CTS Coupe in town the other day, which reminded me how well-designed it is. The wedge shape is distinct, aerodynamic, and downright sinister...love it! But I don't see enough of these cars on the road for some reason. Click through for some other examples of great cars that people should buy more of.

Lexus CT

The CT is based on the Prius but sooo much cooler looking. LED lights, an interesting computer mouse-like dashboard controller, and the Prius-like gas mileage make this car a true unsung hero. My guess is that the CT's more traditional station wagon-like roof scares people off? Americans prefer sedans and fastbacks to station wagons, which would suggest that the Prius' more sloped trunk (and lower price point) have led to its success.

Hyundai Veloster

Having driven the Veloster through Zipcar, I am an instant fan. A lot of people complain about its space-age styling, but I think that's what makes it so interesting. The hidden third door makes getting in and out of the backseat easy, while retaining the car's coupe-like looks. I haven't seen too many of these cars on the road despite its attractive price...

Honda CRZ

The CRZ channels the CRX's awesomeness of the late '80s, but with updated technology, a sleeker body, and a hybrid engine. The CRZ's two seats and evidently sluggish engine are what I believe have made it a slow seller, but it's a shame, because I thought it would be a huge hit -- the next de facto teenager car. Maybe the article I recently read saying that fewer teens are driving works against the CRZ's favor.

Buick Regal

The Buick Regal, which is based on the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, is one good looking car - inside and out. GM failed to bring the Opel Astra to Saturn - probably because they had to sacrifice so much of its technology for the Saturn's low price point - but the Buick doesn't have to make those sacrifices. Despite this car's awesome looks, I don't see many on the road. Hopefully younger car buyers will get over the fact that it's a Buick and see the car for what it is!

Ford Fiesta ST

I see a lot of Focuses (Foci?) on the road, but not many of the smaller Fiestas. I drove the Fiesta off-road last year and had a BLAST. It is peppy, attractive -- even more so now with the Aston Martin grille -- and uses high-quality interior materials. Owning this car doesn't make sense in rural territory, but in urban and suburban environments, it is a great alternative to the ancient Smart car or drab Yaris. Americans should give the Fiesta a chance!

Audi A3

I see many more A4 Sedans than I see A3 Sportbacks, even though the A3 has a similar engine, is cheaper, and uses many of the same interior materials. Having driven the A3 through Zipcar, it has become one of my favorite "hidden gems".

Ford Taurus

This may strike you as an odd choice, but for some reason I don't see too many Tauruses on the road. I think it is a handsome looking car, has a well-appointed interior, and is a far cry from the Tauruses of last decade. I'd like to see more on the road -- other than Police cars.

Cadillac SRX

The SRX is, for all intents and purposes, a strong contender in the entry luxury SUV market. But for some reason, I see many more Lexus RXs and Infiniti FXs than SRXs. Having driven the SRX myself, I was quite impressed by the quality of the interior, the faux-hand stitched dashboard, etc.

VW CC

The CC was supposed to be VW's attempt at knocking the Mercedes CLS off its throne at a much lower price point. While the CC arguably does not cause nearly the same emotional impact that the CLS has, it is still a looker in today's world of mostly boring midsize sedans. I see many more staidly Passats than the expressive CC. What gives?

Tesla Model S Sighting in Santana Row

I wish I had the chance to snap more pictures - I saw a Model S in Santana Row, San Jose, CA the other night. This car is probably one of the best looking cars on the market today. I love how aerodynamic it is; there are practically no protrusions on the body (door handles, taillights, front fascia). It kind of looks like a next-gen Kia Optima, with an iPad-like dashboard that I'm sure will catch on amongst the other car manufacturers in the next 5-10 years. At ~$50k, I would seriously consider this car against buying my favorite Mercedes C/E Class, Audi S4, or Jaguar XF - for the ecological benefits, but also for the coolness factor. I was not the only one stopping and taking a picture of this car...

Test drive: A week with the Mercedes C250 in Los Angeles

Mercedes C250 in front of Hollywood Sign

If you look closely in the background, you can see the Hollywood sign, haha. I cashed in some of my Hertz points and rented a Mercedes C250 on vacation this week in LA. As a Mercedes enthusiast, I loved the car, but even if I wasn't an enthusiast, the car was a lot of fun. Click through for my review.

Mercedes C250 in front of Griffith Observatory

The C250 is Mercedes new turbocharged I-4 base model. Having previously driven the C300 with its V6, I could definitely tell the difference. In "Economy" mode, the car was sluggish, but in "Sport" mode, the turbo kicked in quicker and reminded me of my old Saab 9000. It is a blast to drive in Sport mode, and handles exceptionally well given the RWD setup. At times, the car's burst of speed was a little too much to handle on LA's terribly clogged 405 and 10 Freeways. The suspension soaked up potholes and the brakes were very responsive in stop-and-go traffic. It was truly a pleasure to drive on highway and local roads.

Mercedes C250

The C250, like the rest of the C-Class, is a sharp-looking car. One of the many design features that sticks out to me is the LED DLRs, which look menacing during the day. The new CLS-style headlights and LED taillights look fantastic - a large improvement over the last-generation's taillights. I don't really get the space-age side-view indicator lights, but I don't mind them either.

Mercedes C250 interior

The interior of the C250 was, for Mercedes standards, bare-bones. Having driven the C300 and E350, I instantly noticed the lack of in-dash navigation, which almost made the COMAND stick useless. I also didn't love the sparse layout of the steering wheel buttons. Thankfully my car had Sirius radio, which was a godsend while sitting in traffic. My model had aluminum trim, which I never like in cars because it always has a plasticky feel. Wood, despite often also being plastic, just looks better. Also, who uses the little phone buttons on the dashboard? Most Mercedes owners probably have Bluetooth-enabled phones, no? I thought the ambient lighting could have been more dramatic; the E350 is clearly outfitted better, but then again, it costs more. Some of the plastics used in the car were a little disappointing, notably the flip-up armrest, which would have better in leather as opposed to hard plastic.

Mercedes C250

Little touches like the aluminum gas and brake pedals, power lumbar support, power headrest, and of course the sunroof really stood out for me. Despite the minor gripes of the C250 being a bottom-trim model, this car is exceptionally good. Many will argue that the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series are a better buy, but I would get the C250 over either of them. The exterior styling is more distinctive, the engine is more brutish (yes, even for a turbo-4, it had an awesome grunt), and the interior layout is pleasing. While the interior material quality probably isn't up to par to either the Audi or BMW, the other factors would win me over.

What Are The Reasons I Should Change To Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres are commonly used in countries around the world that have severe winter weather conditions of snow, ice, rain and slush. The majority of large manufacturers sell rubber designed specifically for winter conditions, which are known as either winter or snow to reflect their standard times of use. A small snowflake or snow covered mountain is depicted on the tyre-wall to ensure confusion does not arise between winter and summer compounds.

Rubber designs have been created as a compound that maintains its flexibility in temperatures falling below 7C; these compare favourably with summer designs that are harder, and can become brittle in freezing winter conditions. Winter versions can be designed as narrower than regular summer wheels that cut through deep, unploughed snow; other designs include those that are wider than summer wheels that increase the amount of rubber available to grip snow covered roads. Alongside the more flexible rubber, the tread is often deeper to allow the rubber to spread across patches of snow and ice for increased grip. Braking and stopping times are often increased with a winter compound.

Many drivers believe the inclusion of electronic traction and gripping devices of their vehicles will increase the ability of the vehicle to stay on the road on snow covered roads. Although the ability of a vehicle to keep control is increased, it is not possible for a motor vehicle to stay safe on a winter road when the rubber used cannot grip the road surface. One of the main advantages of using winter compounds is the increased grip offered during dangerous driving conditions.

What Differences Should I Make When Driving in Deep Snow?

It can be very scary having to drive when there is lots of snow out, but most of the time you'll have no choice. That's why it's so important that you are prepared for when snow strikes.

You'll need to make sure you have the necessary items ready for your car. Here are a few things you can do to get ready for deep snow driving, these will all help lessen the risk.

Make sure you have a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze inside your cooling system, this needs to be done for all cars during winter months. The majority of cars have special long life anti freeze already put in the car, you can't mix this with any other kind of anti freeze. If you're not positive what type of anti freeze your car uses, stop by your dealer to find out.

Studebaker Wagonaire and GMC Envoy XUV: separated at birth?

Studebaker Wagonaire

I visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles this week and noticed this interesting '63 Wagonaire with a retractable roof, which reminded me of GMC's failed XUV about 10 years ago. What an odd idea...why would anyone need this feature? Click through for a few thoughts.

GMC XUV

The Studebaker was only around from '63-'66. It was plagued with leaks and quality issues, but even more importantly, I can't imagine too many people wanted to pay extra for this peculiar sliding rear roof feature. Fast forward 40 years, and GMC offered the Envoy XUV with a power sliding rear roof...it was only around from '03-'05.

If you are a carpenter that needs to haul long pieces of lumber, you'll get a pickup truck. For the rest of the likely buyers--families--the tallest things they would haul would be a Christmas tree (put it on the roof, Mitt Romney-style) or Ikea furniture boxes (if they don't fit in the rear, have them delivered). What other tall things do normal people haul around?

Note to automakers: in another 40 years, please don't go through the trouble of reviving this concept again!

Sixteen Months in Our Nissan LEAF

Through July of 2012 we have completed sixteen months of happy driving in our LEAF, with total miles traveled of 14,870.  July was one of our shortest driving distance months, with only 770 miles driven and only 26.6 average (mean) miles driven per driving day and a median of 26 miles driven per driving day.  These low driving distances were due only to our choosing to stay close to home during July, to our having no need to drive any long distance in the car, and had nothing to do with the usefulness of the car, which has stayed the same for us throughout the sixteen months of driving.

Our LEAF continues to be completely reliable, having never needed to return to the dealership for a repair of any kind in about 15,000 miles of driving.  Our driving costs have remained very low due to our ability to drive partly on solar energy generated by our home's solar power system and because of our utility's Time of Use rates for EV charging combined with that solar power. Our fuel costs continue to be zero, as they have for the life of the car.

I had occasion to gas up our Toyota Prius hybrid the other day, my wife being the one who usually drives it and fuels it, and it was rather an unfamiliar feeling to drive into a gas station.  One tends to forget that that unpleasant little piece of daily life can be so easily forgotten.  I don't miss the gas station at all.

The car continues to be as silent, powerful and zippy to drive around town as it was when it was new, and I enjoy the open and airy interior and the attractive blue paint job whenever I drive it.  The flexible interior continues to be very useful for our family of four, fitting four adults and a child car seat when necessary, and able to carry cargo of some bulk with the rear seats folded.

Driving range remains in the area of 75 miles if we drive at a dashboard-indicated economy of 4 mi/kWh, which is easy to achieve. This range capability reflects a reduction of 13% as compared with the car when it was new, measured by a careful driving range test conducted in July.  For our driving needs, this capacity reduction due to battery aging hasn't yet become a problem because the range capability remains within our usual driving range needs.

Electric Bill
With summer rates in effect we are enjoying maximum solar power generation from our home's rooftop solar "power plant".  We are seeing the expected electric bill benefits of credit balances rather than actual bills.  For our July/August bill, our bill is a credit of $58.30.  Added to our previous credit balance of $14.53, we now have a total cumulative balance of  -$72.83 for the net metering year to date after month #5.  We expect this credit balance to grow for the two remaining months of the summer, which will contribute to a very low actual cumulative bill due at the end of next February of close to zero for all of our electrical use for the year.

On August 13, SCE installed a Smart Meter, replacing our previous digital interval recording meter.  The change has been pretty much a non-event for us so far.  The new meter, like our previous one, displays the cumulative energy used by our household from our utility on one register ("register 1") and the energy sent back to the utility on a second register ("register 71").  I use these readings, along with the power usage readings from our TED energy monitoring system and the readings from our solar PV system's power inverter, to track our energy usage and generation.

I haven't seen the data on SCE's (our utility's) web site as yet, but I've been told to expect to be able to see our power usage per hour for each day as recent as the previous day.  Perhaps SCE needs a few weeks to get that display functioning on their web site for new Smart Metering customers.


The Numbers:
2011 Nissan LEAF SL Placed in Service: March 30, 2011
All Home Charging Done Using: 240 Volt Aerovironment/Nissan Level 2 EVSE
Home Solar PV System: 24 Sunpower 215W panels totaling 5.16 kW DC mounted on a 20 degree South facing roof.
Total Solar PV Power Generated for Net Metering Year Ended February 2012:  8,568 kWh

Our LEAF's Longest Range Full Charge to Empty ("Turtle"): 86.5 miles (at 4.0 mi/kWh on dash), April 2011.

Our LEAF's Most Recent Range, Full Charge to Turtle: 75 miles (at 4.1 mi/kWh on dash), July 2012
NOTE: Longer maximum range is possible if the LEAF is driven more conservatively. Many LEAF owners have achieved range of well over 100 miles.

Month:  July 2012
Total Miles at Month End: 14,870 miles
Miles Driven in Month:  770 miles
Electric Power Used for Charging in Month: 222.3 kWh (measured at wall power source, includes public charging)
Public Charging in Month, Power Use: 0 kWh 
Charging at Home in Month, Power Use: 222.3 kWh
Energy Efficiency, Month of July:  3.46 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Month of July:   4.12 miles/kWh (in car main dash display, battery to wheels)
Efficiency Wall to Wheels in Month at 240 Volts: (3.43/4.2) = 84%

Total Charging Energy Used, Lifetime:  4,580.2 kWh (Includes public charging)

Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  3.24 miles/kWh (wall to wheels)
Energy Efficiency, Lifetime:  30.9 kWh/100 mi (wall to wheels)
Number of Home Charging Days in Month: 22
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging in a Day in July:  17.9 kWh  (4.7 charging hours)
Most Electric Energy Used for Charging AT HOME in a Day in July: 17.9 kWh (4.7 charging hours)

Least Electric Energy Used at Home for Charging in a Charging Day in July :  5.1 kWh (1.3 charging hours)
Average Electric Energy Used for Home Charging in a Charging Day in July: 10.1 kWh  (2.65 charging hours)
Household Power Used for Month:  785 kWh (without car charging)
Total Power Used for Month:  1007 kWh (includes car charging)
Solar PV Power Generated for Month:  887 kWh
Net Power Used or Sent to Grid for Month:  120 kWh net used
July Electric Bill, So Cal Edison, Schedule TOU-D-TEV:  $-58.30  (A credit in this amount will be added to our net metering total charge for the year.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative kWh Used at Month #5:  954 kWh (Total kWh net used for the net metering year. This is total household and EV charging usage minus solar PV generation.)
Solar Net Metering Year Total Cumulative Cost at Month #5:  -$72.83 (Total energy and delivery costs for all power usage for the net metering year.)
Cost for Charging Car in July:  $0.00
Cost per Mile:  $0.00
Cost for Charging Car, Lifetime: $0.00
Cost per Mile, Lifetime: $0.00  
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost for Charging Car in July: $28.90)
(If We Didn't Have Solar Power, Est Cost per Mile in July: $0.0375) 
Average (Mean) Miles per Driving Day in July:  26.6 miles
Average (Median) Miles per Driving Day in July:  26 miles
Longest Day's Driving in July:  75 miles
Longest Day's Driving in July Without Mid-Trip Charging: 75 miles
Shortest Day's Driving in July:  5 miles
Number of Times we Took the Prius Instead of the LEAF Due to Low Charge: 3
Unexpected Low Charge and Unable to Reach Destination:  Never

Taillights - the best and the worst

Mitsubishi Mirage

I saw an article on Autoblog yesterday reporting that Mitsubishi was considering bringing the new Mirage (pictured above) to the US to "reinvigorate" its ailing lineup. While I agree that Mitsubishi needs to inject some excitement into its lineup, this Mirage certainly isn't going to do it. There are a lot of things I don't like about this car, but most importantly its nondescript, blobby taillights, which make the car look 10 years old. The styling of the Mirage looks instantly dated compared to other subcompacts on the market, especially those from Hyundai and Kia. The Mirage inspired me to think of some other automakers who haven't paid enough attention to taillights, and some that did. Click through for some examples:




First some boring taillights:

Toyota Corolla

The Corolla's taillights could be on any car. There is nothing distinct about them that would allow me to instantly identify the car as a Corolla.

Mazda 5

The Mazda 5's taillights look like droopy, sad eyes. They're too low in proportion to the rest of the back end.

Subaru XV

The XV is a rare example of a Subaru that excites me. The boxy lines mixed with curves are actually pretty cool...so I was disappointed when I saw the taillights, which look like an afterthought. The taillights are so nondescript, that they almost ruin the rear end. The black body cladding on the lower corners of the car saves the day, fortunately.

Subaru BR-Z / Scion FR-S

I know the new Toyotaru RWD project has a lot of fans, but I haven't caught the wave. I'm sure it is a blast to drive and drift, but I don't think Toyota and Subaru pushed the boundaries enough when it came to styling, and the taillights epitomize this. They are too small and seem misplaced with regard to the rest of the design. It's almost like they were aiming to copy the BMW Z4's taillights but had to tweak them enough so as to avoid legal trouble...

VW Tiguan

I like the Tiguan overall, but think VW could have gone further with the taillights. On the next model, make them a little more expressive!

Now for some exciting taillights...

Dodge Charger

The Charger's taillights are easily the most engaging on the market today. Looks great in the daylight and even better at night!

Volvo XC60

I love the curviness of the XC60's taillights, which are easy to see at nighttime, but also look great (just like the rest of the SUV).

Mercedes CLS

Goes without saying, but the CLS' taillights look like a million bucks.

BMW 5-Series

The 5-Series has always embedded LED "stripes" in their taillights, which look awesome at night.

Ford Mustang

Check out the new Mustang's taillights. Against the black plastic, the red LEDs pop at night.

Kia Optima

The taillights are one of many reasons why I love the Kia Optima...one of the first exciting midsize cars available in awhile.